'Eco-Atkins' Recipes: High Protein, Low-Carb Meals

Chickpea Soup

Prep: 15 minutes, plus overnight soaking
Cook: 1 hour 40 minutes
Freeze: up to 3 months
7 oz (200 g) chickpeas, soaked in water overnight, then drained
2.5 quarts (2.5 liters) cold water
4 tbsp olive oil
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium leek, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
cup dry white wine
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to serve
2 tbsp chopped chives and parsley, to garnish
1. Place the chickpeas in a saucepan with plenty of cold water and bring to a boil. Skim away any foam with a slotted spoon, then drain and return to the pan. Add the cold water, bring to a boil and cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hours or until the peas are done.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan, add the celery, onion, and leek, and cook for 5-10 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then cook for another minute. Add the contents of the frying pan to the chickpeas and stir. Pour in a little water if the mixture seems too thick to blend.
3. Transfer the soup to a blender and process in batches until smooth, adding the wine, lemon juice, and the remaining 3 tbsp olive oil in three or four stages. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then return to the pan and heat through. Divide the soup among six bowls, float 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil on the top of each one, then serve garnished with the chopped chives and parsley. Serves 6.

Text and images reproduced by permission of DK, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. from Soup.

Walnut Bean Burgers —Sans Bun

Mollie Katzen’s Veggie Burgers
Although the recipe calls for lentils, try making them with yellow split peas as well, for a lovely and sturdy variation. The split peas will need a little more water (up to 2 1/2 cups) and more cooking time, but are a really nice option.
Try serving Lentil -Walnut Burgers with thick slices of sweet red bell pepper, or if you are making this in tomato season, with thick slices of very ripe tomato.
The burgers can be made up to several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator until just before cooking. Uncooked burgers can be individually wrapped and frozen. Defrost before cooking.
3/4 cup uncooked brown or green lentils
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil (plus more for frying the burgers, as needed)
1 cup finely minced onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dry mustard
10 mushrooms (about 2-inch diameter), minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound baby spinach, finely minced (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup finely minced walnuts
Place the lentils and water in a medium-small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Lower the eat to a simmer, partially cover, and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are soft and the water is completely absorbed. (Don’t worry about overcooking the lentils. Soft is good in this recipe, and we want all the water gone.) Transfer to a medium-large bowl, add the vinegar, and mash with a fork or a potato masher. Set aside.
Place a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, and wait about a minute. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and swirl to coat the pan, then add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add all the remaining ingredients except the walnuts and bread crumbs, and sauté over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Turn up the heat for the last minute or so, to let the moisture evaporate.
Stir the sautéed mixture into the lentils, along with the walnuts and bread crumbs. Mix thoroughly, then cover the bowl (or transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid) and chill for at least an hour (longer okay).
Form 4-inch patties about 1 1/2 inches thick, and fry on both sides in a hot, oiled pan until heated through and crispy on the outside. You can also broil then for 5 to 8 minutes on each side (until golden and crisp). Top with some grated cheese at the last minute, if desired, and let it melt.
Serve hot, with desired accoutrements.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Roasted Red Pepper, Fennel, and Tomato soup

Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 2 hours
Freeze: up to 2 months
1 large fennel bulb, peeled
1 red onion
2 red bell peppers, halved and seeded
1 lb (500 grams) tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, in their skins
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves only
1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp fennel seeds
tsp nigella seeds
14 fl oz (400ml) vegan passata
1 quart (1 liter) vegetable stock
1 red chile pepper, split and seeded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Handful of fennel leaves
1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut the fennel and onion into wedges. Slice a cross into the base of each tomato and squeeze the juice and seeds into a bowl. Strain the juice and set aside.
2. Line a roasting pan with parchment paper and add the fennel, onion, peppers, tomatoes, and garlic cloves. Sprinkle over the sugar, drizzle with the olive oil, and scatter the rosemary on top. Roast the vegetables for 1 hour, or until the tomatoes are soft. Cool the vegetables before peeling the blackened skin from the peppers. Peel the garlic and discard the skins.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan and toss in the fennel and nigella seeds, swirling them around for a few seconds. Pour over the passata, the stock, and the reserved tomato juice, and bring to a boil. Add the roasted vegetables, pop the chile pepper into the pan, and season with sale and pepper to taste. Half cover with a lid and simmer for about 45 minutes.
4. Using a blender, process the soup until smooth and press through a sieve. Reheat, re-season, and finish with a sprinkling of fennel leaves.
Serves: 4-6
Text and images reproduced by permission of DK, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. from Soup. 2009 by DK Publishing. All rights reserved.

Text and images reproduced by permission of DK, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. from Soup.

Tofu Scramble

Ingredients
1 14oz. package of Nasoya firm tofu, rinsed and patted dry
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 ounces mushrooms, sliced (about 2/3 cup)
1/3 cup salsa, chunky preferred
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Directions
Put the potato cubes into a pot of boiling water and boil for 2 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return to the dry pot. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and stir to coat. Mist a baking sheet with nonstick cooking oil spray. Spread the potatoes on the baking sheet in a single layer and place under the broiler for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Put the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet and set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring until softened. Add the red bell pepper and mushrooms and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Crumble tofu in to the pan and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in the salsa, nutritional yeast flakes, pepper and reserved potatoes. Cook until heated through and serve immediately while hot. Yield: 4 servings